Lifeline
by Meowser Clancy
Summary: TLF universe. Sometimes Katie isn't crossing people over. Sometimes she's keeping them here. Katie and Andrew belong to GhostWhispererFangirl. I'm just playing with them. :)


**A/N: Quick note: In GhostWhispererFangirl's story Their Little Family (which this is based on) then Melinda did take Jim's name. She's Mrs. Clancy, not Ms. Gordon. :) ~ Meowser**

* * *

Andrew was quirky. That couldn't be denied. Katie had only been living next to him for a week when he came knocking on her door, clothed in only a towel.

"I'm locked out," he told her.

"In your towel?" She questioned.

He looked pained. "I stepped out to get the mail," he said. "I'm waiting for a package." He waggled his eyebrows. "You know about long distance. There's no time to waste. Anyway, I thought I had a key on me but no."

"I don't know how to help," Katie began. Andrew didn't have a roommate yet so it wasn't like he could stay til they got home.

"I'm not completely dumb," Andrew chortled. "I have a backup key and I just need to get it."

"What?" Katie wondered.

"I left it in your kitchen when you had me over on Tuesday," he said. "I taped it underneath that picture frame. I figured if I told you you might say no because you might think I was coming into you but girl, I'm definitely not. But I needed something in case of emergency because this kind of thing tends to happen a lot."

"What?!" Katie repeated, now just shocked.

"I'm sorry!" He said. "It was wrong but I'm dumb and desperate."

"I mean, it was smart of you to hide it," Katie faltered. She still wasn't sure what to make of him. He'd still hidden something inside her apartment without telling her and she didn't know if it was a ruse yet.

"Please," he said. "I don't even have to come inside. It's taped behind the red picture frame with a baby in it."

"Okay, okay," Katie said. "Wait here."

Andrew nodded, leaning against her doorway and anxiously craning his head to watch her progress.

She lifted the frame and carefully peeled the key free. It was indeed scotch taped there, very tightly; it took her a long moment to get a loose edge.

"You have saved my life," Andrew said. "Thank you, god!" He looked to the sky a brief moment before holding out his hand.

"Uh uh," Katie said. "You can't have it."

His jaw dropped. "What? It's my key!"

"Not anymore," she said, stepping past him to unlock the door for him. "It's mine. I'm going to tape it back under the picture and anytime you get locked out again, it'll be here. In case of emergency." She smiled brilliantly at him, finally deciding to trust the slightly crazy man.

He threw enthusiastic arms around her. "Katie, I don't know your full name or even your last name but if I did, I'd say it right now. You have earned a friend in me."

"Well, stop hugging me, your towel is getting free," Katie giggled.

"My Mom will love you," he began. "So will Grayson."

"Who's Grayson?" She questioned.

"The tall, dark and handsome man who deigned to be my boyfriend." Andrew hesitated. "Honestly, I'm not sure why he's with me. He could do so much better and all I do is misplace my anxiety meds and lock myself out but..." he smiled at Katie.

His brutal honesty about everything had stunned Katie to bear silence.

"He loves you, I guess," she finally said. "And he sees the good in you. Andrew, I don't know your full name either but you've got a friend in me, too."

* * *

The day Grayson broke up with Andrew wasn't a good day.

She came home from a long day of classes and ghosts to find Andrew outside her door, his legs curled into his chest, and his face in his knees. She instantly knew something was wrong. It took a lot to bring him down.

"Andrew," she said, and he slowly raised his head.

"Katie," he began. "Hi."

She sat next to him, extending her legs across the narrow hallway.

"So," Andrew began. "Umm. He broke up with me."

It would be three months before Andrew said his name again.

"What happened?" She asked.

"I called him," he whispered. "I tackle things head on and he'd been distant lately. So I asked him why. I said... I told him it didn't seem like he wanted to be in this relationship."

"Oh fuck," Katie whispered back.

"And he said I was right. He didn't. I just...I kept begging him to stay on the line. Just five more minutes. Just one more day. I told him I'd catch a train to come see him. I said just one more chance. I fucking begged the bastard, but he said no, he said he had to go and I begged him to stay on the line for five more minutes and..." Andrew was sobbing now, hardly able to breathe. "He hung up."

"Oh my god, Andrew," she said. "Come inside."

She awkwardly slid an arm around him, trying to pull him up. "Andrew," she pleaded. "Let me help you."

"I can't do this," he said with ragged breath, finally standing with her. "He lives just two hours away by train. I can go see him, I can talk to him, I can-"

"Andrew, you are too good to beg for him and if he can't see your worth he's dumb," Katie said, almost sharp. "We don't beg for people's love."

He stilled. "We," he began.

"Well, yeah," she told him. "Listen, I know your family is like eight hours away, and that sucks. I'm going to drive down to see my family and Ned this weekend though. They're in Grandview. It's not a bad commute." She was settling him on the couch, giving him a blanket. "I want you to come with me. You can unwind. Breathe. My mom will love you and my dad will make you anything you want to eat."

Andrew was finally breathing again. "Okay," he said, finally. "Yeah. That sounds good."

"Great," Katie said. "I'm going to grab some ice cream and then we can watch Netflix. You don't have to move. Don't get your phone, don't do anything. Just wait for me, okay?"

"Okay," he said, in a very small voice. "Um, Katie?"

"Yeah?" She asked, pausing by the door.

"I don't think I have any other friends who'd do this for me," he said. "Thank you."

* * *

The ride was amazing. Katie had never had so much fun in a car.

Even newly single, Andrew was great company in the car. He had a good playlist, which they switched to shortly after getting out of NYC, after Andrew commented that Katie's playlist was a little pop heavy.

Which was fine, but Andrew's playlist had so many solid picks that Katie didn't mind.

They sang along, ate the trail mix Andrew had not only packed but had made himself, and stayed hydrated. Andrew's number one trick to avoiding fatigue and headaches in the car was drinking lots of water and he'd brought a whole 24 pack.

"The drive isn't that long," Katie had said.

"It's going to be longer once you factor in all the bathroom breaks," Andrew had joked. He was wearing a beanie hat pulled low and Katie could tell he wasn't happy with the state of the world; but he'd fake it to the end.

She wanted to tell him he didn't have to be strong, but decided to let him cope in whatever way he deemed necessary. Some people just didn't like talking about painful things more than once.

Katie herself was more of the type of person to tell the story to her mom, her dad, Ned, even Mackenzie, before she even started to get over something. Sure, she could shove things down like the best of them, and god knew Katie didn't always share, especially if she was feeling depressed or anxious, but she had a support system and she utilized it when she could.

She glanced over at Andrew, realizing that not everyone had a support system; at least, most people hadn't grown up with one.

She was back to driving now. They were getting close to the exit for Grandview and she wanted to make sure they didn't miss it; it wasn't actually on the exit sign.

Andrew was slowly coming down. She had a feeling he'd been putting on a happy face and it was fading fast. Maybe he'd taken an energy drink even; Katie could almost physically feel the atmosphere in the car get less cheerful.

"My family will love you," she told him. "And we'll have something great for dinner. My dad isn't working today so he's cooking."

"Your mom doesn't cook?" Andrew finally questioned, after a moment too long.

"She does, but my dad is the real deal," Katie said. "Like, if he's making pizza, it's from scratch. He just likes to put the time in and my mom is more of a crock pot or frozen meals type."

"My mom bakes." A statement, again a long time after Katie spoke. "She owned a bakery for awhile but she couldn't keep up. We had a few good months and then she ended up losing it. Now she's working at Wal-Mart."

More silence.

"My mom owns an antique store," Katie began. "The first few years were really tough, but she finally gained a reputation, and began to have return customers. Estate sales also really helped. She learned she really had to hustle to make it, and even now, there are still bad months."

"Your dad is a doctor, right?"

Andrew was slowly becoming interested.

"Yeah," Katie smiled. "Always busy but he always has time. What about your dad?"

Andrew shrugged. "I never met him," he said, the words meant to be casual, carefree. "I never got the full story from my mom, and after a point I just stopped asking. It hurt too much for her to think about. I don't know if he died, if he left her, if she never even told him…" He shrugged. "I stopped needing to know."

"That's got to be hard," Katie began, and then stopped, not sure what to say.

"It sucked for a while, but now I just accept it," he said.

"There's a whole chunk of your past missing though," she said. "How do you know who you are if you don't know where you came from?"

"Because my identity is wrapped up in my own choices," Andrew said. He was growing more animated, ready for a fight, and Katie knew it. She wanted to draw him out, a least a little, since his silence was scarier. "It doesn't matter who my father was. That has nothing to do with who I am. I make my own path, my own choices. I am who I choose to be."

"Then choose to be a warrior," Katie said. "Choose to be happy and healthy and forget about Grayson." She met his eyes in the mirror. "He's not worth it."

It was the wrong thing to say.

Andrew almost visibly deflated, and didn't say a word until they were pulling into the driveway of the Clancy home.

* * *

Jim had made beef stroganoff for dinner, and Andrew had only picked at his first helping, not even finishing, while those around him went back for seconds.

Melinda wasn't there; she'd had a ghost emergency, something her father had discreetly related to her when they'd arrived.

"Katiebug, pass the pasta," Jim requested, taking a helping once she had. "So what's your major, Andrew?"

"Undeclared," Andrew admitted. "It was going to be business and then I realized I'd die a slow death in the business program."

Jim laughed, before realizing Andrew wasn't laughing with him. He glanced at Katie, his brow crinkling with concern. She loved her dad, and this was why. Because Andrew was being so taciturn, and most parents would have gotten angry, or frustrated; Jim was merely worried.

"Can I be excused?" Aaron asked.

"Yeah," Jim said softly, and the boy slipped away from the table.

Mack was still eating, but soon asked to leave as well, and soon they were alone at the table with Lana.

Jim reached over to feed the baby another spoonful, waiting for her to finish before offering another.

"We have a bed all made up for you in the basement, Andrew," Jim said. "It's where Katie usually stays when she's home now. It's completely finished, and you'll be plenty warm."

"Good," Andrew said. "Where's Katie staying?"

"With Mack," Katie replied.

Jim raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. She'd have to explain this later.

"Where's Mrs. Clancy?" Andrew wondered, pushing his plate away.

Jim graciously took it, gathering up the rest of the dishes as well, to take to the kitchen. "She had an issue at the shop," he said. "She owns a furniture store."

"Yeah, Katie told me," Andrew began.

"Do you want to walk down there?" Katie wondered. "It's a nice walk, a quick drive but walking is great too. And it's such a great Fall day."

"Yáll could get some ice cream too," Jim said. "Bring back a pint or two for me and the kids. I'll give you the money."

Katie raised an eyebrow at Andrew, wondering what his response would be.

"Okay," Andrew finally said, and the smallest hint of a smile was on his face.

* * *

Melinda wasn't at the store. Katie hadn't expected her to be, and that was why she'd suggested walking.

"We probably just missed her," Katie laughed. "She was probably driving home just as we left home!"

"Where's the ice cream place?" Andrew wondered, peering through the windows of the store. "It's a cool looking place."

"Yeah, if I had keys I'd let you take a look around," Katie replied. "It is cool. She has items from all over, like a watch from the 1860's, and a fan from the Taisho period of Japan."

"Wow," Andrew said, sounding intrigued. "History is more my speed than business, but you can't make a living off of it."

"Some people do," Katie shrugged.

"Doesn't your boyfriend live in Grandview?" Andrew asked, a few minutes later.

"Ned? Yeah, but he's working," Katie began, brushing it off.

Andrew was silent for a minute longer. "You're spending the night with him, aren't you?" He said.

"What?" Katie said, flustered.

"Your dad was surprised when you said you were planning on sleeping with Mackenzie," Andrew said. "Katie, you don't have to pretend you're not in a happy relationship to make me feel better."

"I didn't...I wasn't…" Katie sighed. "I'm sorry, Andrew."

He shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets.

He didn't end up getting any ice cream. Neither did Katie. She paid for two pints of rocky road for the family and they walked home in silence.

* * *

Ned didn't get off shift until ten that night.

Katie was sitting on the front porch swing, waiting for both Ned and Melinda. She hoped her mom got home before Ned arrived. She was beginning to feel worried.

Jim came out on the porch, holding Lana in his arms. "She won't go to sleep," he said. "It's like she knows your mom isn't here."

"Well, she does," Katie began, reaching her arms out for the little girl.

"Like she knows your mom should be here," Jim corrected himself.

She could see the tension in his face and shoulders. He was worried.

"Has she been texting you?" She wondered.

"Not since eight," Jim said. "And she's with Eli."

Jim would never admit it, but he wasn't a fan of Eli, hence Katie not being a fan of Eli.

"He doesn't care if mom makes it home," Katie said, just wondering how her dad would react.

"That's not true," Jim said, but she could tell his heart wasn't in the statement. "They've been friends forever."

"It's hard to break a bond with someone who shares our gift," Katie admitted. "If I ever meet someone my age, I'll stalk them until they're friends with me or get a restraining order."

Jim laughed, but there was no mirth. It probably hit too close to home.

"I've never liked your mom going ghost hunting without me," he finally admitted. "I've been there with her too many times to not know how dangerous it gets."

"She always makes it home," Katie said, knowing that there were too many parallels between her and her mother.

Jim smiled. "That was one of the first things we fought about after we got married," he said. "I said I wouldn't let her go without me, and she freaked out."

"Dad!" Katie exclaimed. "With good reason!"

"I learned a lesson," he chuckled. "Your mom has to do what she does. And god knows, she doesn't always like it either."

Katie smiled, shaking her head. "You must have had a really good apology for mom to forgive you after a dumb comment like that."

"I had something better than an apology," Jim said slyly.

"Dad!"

He laughed, the sound soothing Katie's heart.

"I'm worried," he finally admitted, a few minutes later. "And yeah. Eli has a disregard for your mom's safety a lot of the time."

She knew that her father admitting something like that to her was the start of a new page in their relationship. He was speaking to her fully as an adult, as someone to confide in.

She leaned against him, holding Lana tight on her lap, Katie's head finally coming to rest on Jim's shoulder.

"Did you see Andrew?" She wondered.

"The light in the basement was off," Jim sighed. "Is he okay?"

"I don't know," Katie fretted. "I thought this trip home would help but I think I overestimated my abilities."

"You don't usually have the living to worry about," Jim joked.

"Not like this," Katie admitted. "I don't know, Dad."

"Just be there for him," Jim said. "Maybe this trip wasn't the greatest idea you've ever had, but if you're really friends with him, he'll know you were only thinking of what would be best for him."

"Yeah," Katie sighed.

Ned's car had just pulled up, and Katie felt her heart jump.

"Got to go," she said, feeling a smile on her face. "Text me when mom shows up, please."

"Yeah,"Jim said, standing with her to take back Lana. "Tell Ned hi for me."

"Love you, daddy," she said, hugging him tightly.

"Love you too," he said, and she rushed to Ned's car.

When they pulled away, he was still on the porch, waving, and then sinking back onto the swing.

She had a feeling he wasn't going to move until Melinda got home or Lana fell asleep, whichever came first.

* * *

"I want to show you how much I missed you," Ned told her, kissing her outside his apartment door. They hadn't even gone up the steps yet. Katie had refrained from kissing him in the car because she hadn't wanted her dad to see, so now that they were finally at Ned's, he didn't want to go inside.

She didn't care. She was loving it. Loving the way his arms felt, loving the way his lips couldn't seem to leave her skin, loving how warm he was, and the faint line of stubble on his jaw, and how much she, too, had missed him.

"I love you," she told him, kissing him back, slipping her tongue between his lips to get him to open up, gently sucking on his tongue.

"God, Katie," he rasped, hands moving from her waist to her chest, underneath her jacket so the neighbors couldn't see. His fingers brushed over the weight of them, slid up to her nipple, barely caressable through the thick layer of her sweater.

"Take me inside," Katie said, moving to kiss his neck. "Make me yours."

"Oh, god," he said, finally pulling away, keeping her hand tight in his, finally heading towards the stairs to his apartment.

They rushed up, clumsy in love, eager and filled with lust.

"I want you," Katie told him. "I want you inside me, and I want you pounding into me, and I want to kiss every inch of you."

"Katie, you're killing me," he gasped, finally getting his apartment door open.

They rushed in, and he slammed the door, shoving her against it in almost the same moment. She lifted her legs, and he boosted her up, letting her wrap her legs around his waist as he began to once again kiss her, snapping the deadbolt shut as he did so.

Their lips met in a crash, and his hands were on her ass, and then they were heading to the bedroom, and Ned was holding her tight, until he was tipping her back onto the bed and laying her flat on her back, rubbing his erection against her core until they were both whimpering, and then moving to pull her sweater over her head, throwing it somewhere far away, and unhooking her bra in seconds.

And his clothes were coming off, and Katie was so close, and that was when it happened.

"Andrew?"

Ned froze, and Katie found her breath coming faster, but not for a good reason. "Oh my fucking god," she said. "Oh my god."

"What, Katie?" Ned asked.

"Andrew is here," she said, looking at the boy where he stood, in the doorway, not looking at Katie and Ned but out the window.

"I'm leaving," Andrew told her, voice monotone. He turned to look at her, his eyes hurting her. "But I don't think I want to. It's too late, though."

"Andrew, it's not too late, Andrew, what about your mom?" Katie cried, pushing away from Ned.

But the boy was gone. She turned back to Ned, full out crying now. "I think he killed himself," she said, looking desperately around for her clothes.

His face paled. "Oh my god, call your dad," he said, giving her his phone.

Better idea.

Katie dialed the home phone number from memory, not bothering to find it in his contacts. "Come on, dad," she pleaded. "Pick up."

It rang five times, and Jim barely picked up on the sixth. "Clancy household," he answered.

"Daddy, it's Katie," she said, knowing that the call would instantly put him on edge. "Can you check on Andrew? Because I just saw him here."

"Then how could I check on—"

The phone was dropped. She knew that her father was running down the stairs, going to see about the boy in his basement.

She hung up the phone, and Ned had gathered all her clothes. "Have I told you lately that I love you?" She said, struggling into them. "You are literally the one person I could do this with that wouldn't flip the fuck out."

"You're worth the crazy, Katie," Ned whispered, kissing her cheek. "But yes, it is crazy. Come on. I'm driving."


End file.
